Pomegranate juice: benefits and harms

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pomegranate is a plant known since antiquity. According to some reports, its history has about four thousand years. Many myths and legends are associated with it. There is even an opinion that it was the pomegranate that was the very fruit, the “apple” that Eve was tempted to. In some European languages, by the way, the word “apple” is the basis of the name of the pomegranate.

Homeland of pomegranate

It is believed that the "grainy apple" came to us from Central Asia and North Africa. Currently, it is actively grown in countries with a warm climate: Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Spain, Georgia, Azerbaijan. In Russia, it grows in the Crimea and in the southern part of the Krasnodar Territory.

Pomegranate loves heat and sun, quite unpretentious to the quality of the soil, but does not tolerate frosts below 15 degrees. In our country, these fruits usually appear on store shelves in the winter season, when it becomes difficult with other fruits and vegetables as sources of natural vitamins. Not that they completely disappeared, but their quality is no longerthen.

History of the name of the fruit

In Russian it is based on the Latin word granatus, which means "grainy" in translation. Due to the fact that one "pomegranate" contains more than five hundred, and sometimes up to one thousand grains, this fruit is rightly a symbol of fertility.

What are the benefits of

Pomegranate contains a lot of organic acids. These are mainly citric and malic acids, tartaric, succinic, oxalic acids are represented in a smaller volume. There are many minerals in pomegranate such as manganese, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, chromium. But there is very little iron in it, contrary to popular belief - much less than in meat or even in buckwheat.

What vitamins are in a pomegranate?

The group is small. These fruits contain vitamin C and B vitamins, and vitamin E in its seeds. The range is not too wide, but pomegranate juice is rich in amino acids - as many as fifteen items were found there, of which six are indispensable and are not synthesized in the body. There are many tannins in pomegranate juice, which explains its tart taste. The peel of the fruit is also rich in minerals. It contains elements such as potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium, copper, chromium, selenium and other components.

Only seeds are useful?

Interestingly, pomegranate seed oil contains the same impressive amount of vitamin E as wheat germ oil. The bark has also found application in folk medicine: it containssubstances that have anthelmintic activity. There are even flowers. True, not for medicinal purposes - they are used to make dyes for natural fabrics.

Healing properties of pomegranates

This fruit has long been used in folk medicine. The properties of pomegranate juice are very numerous and are determined by its chemical composition. The fruits are used fresh. Pomegranate juice is considered simply an elixir of he alth. It has been used as a remedy since the time of Hippocrates. Later, Avicenna also mentioned him. The vitamins contained in it have a beneficial effect on the body's resistance to infections, the condition of the skin, nails and hair. Vitamins E and C also have an antioxidant effect, protecting against the occurrence of malignant tumors. Regular consumption of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for a long time is a great way to reliably prevent cancer. Vitamin E is known to have a very positive effect on the reproductive function of both women and men. B vitamins also have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

As mentioned above, pomegranates contain amino acids that serve to build proteins in the human body, including essential ones that must come from outside. Therefore, for vegetarians who do not eat meat, in order to avoid metabolic disorders, the introduction of pomegranate fruits and juice from them into the diet will be very useful.

In addition to the above, you can understand the benefits of pomegranate juice by remembering that inits composition contains organic acids that are useful for the circulatory system. These substances dilate blood vessels. This confirms the popularly known fact that pomegranate juice lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and in addition lowers cholesterol levels. Thus, pomegranate juice can reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes. Organic acids increase digestive enzymes in gastric juice. Citric acid, which is found in pomegranate juice, is widely used in the treatment of urolithiasis, and tartaric acid has a beneficial effect on skin condition.

Malic acid contained in pomegranate juice has a positive effect on the liver and gallbladder, so it is so useful to drink this juice with liver damage and alcohol intoxication. Everyone knows how useful pomegranate juice is for anemia. Iron in it, however, as already mentioned, is very small. Perhaps the point here is that the malic acid contained in it promotes the absorption of iron from food. Therefore, as an aid in anemia, pomegranate juice has proven itself so well.

The abundance of such phenolic compounds in pomegranate as tannins explain its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, diuretic and choleretic properties. Therefore, with inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, it is so useful to use pomegranate juice. This is an excellent natural diuretic that can be successfully used to combat puffiness. In addition, pomegranate juice perfectly relieves inflammation in stomatitis and sore throat. Therefore, it is recommended to use it inas a mouthwash. Pomegranate juice is used even for burns. Well, we should not forget about the beneficial effects of pomegranates on the gastrointestinal tract. Due to its astringent action, it helps with diarrhea.

The pectin substances contained in pomegranates have unique abilities. They remove harmful substances from the body, neutralize side effects after taking antibiotics.

In folk medicine, not only pomegranate juice is used, but also decoctions from the dried peel and membranes of the fruit, as well as the bark of the pomegranate tree. Moreover, they find various applications: from the treatment of diarrhea and the removal of inflammatory processes to antihelminthic and sedative agents.

How to choose the right juice

Today, a drink made from this sweet and sour fruit can be found on the shelves of many stores. As you can see, pomegranate juice has a truly “broad profile” useful properties. But are all drinks equally effective? It seems clear that only freshly squeezed pomegranate juice has such exceptional qualities. In packaged drinks, after industrial processing, there is hardly much useful left. And if this is not juice, but nectar with the addition of sugar and dyes, and even preservatives, then all the above praises do not apply to this product at all. Natural and high-quality pomegranate juice simply cannot be cheap. It must be in glass packaging, and produced only where pomegranates grow. And the juice must be straight-pressed. A small amount of sediment is allowed. If all these conditionsobserved - you can treat yourself to purchased pomegranate juice and enjoy its positive effect on the body. Just don't keep an open bottle longer than two days.

Homemade pomegranate juice

The most optimal option for he alth is to prepare juice from the fruits yourself, and then there will be no doubt about its natural origin or its benefits. It's not that difficult, and there are at least three ways to do it. The first is to free the grains from the peel and grind them with a wooden pusher through a sieve, then strain through cheesecloth. Another option is to grind the grains in a blender, and carefully strain the resulting slurry. There is another way, but it is not suitable for all varieties of pomegranates. To use this method, the pomegranate must have a thin skin. It is necessary to knead such a fruit thoroughly in your hands, without damaging its skin. And when it becomes soft, you can simply pour the juice out of it by making a hole in the peel.

How to choose a pomegranate

When choosing the fruits themselves, you should pay attention to their appearance. A good pomegranate should be hard, dense and fairly heavy. The peel of a ripe fruit envelops the grains, but it should not be dry or stained. The place of attachment of the pomegranate flower to the fruit should not be green.

Grenades and pregnancy

Based on all its useful properties, pomegranate juice during pregnancy is not only possible, but also necessary. It's like hereagain, its safe diuretic effect, which helps to relieve edema - a common complaint of pregnant women, and the presence of vitamins in it, which pregnant women so need in addition, will come in handy. The presence of folic acid in pomegranate juice, a vitamin that is known for its positive effect on the development of the fetus, makes it even more valuable for expectant mothers. Pregnant women are prescribed folic acid additionally to reduce the likelihood of various pathologies. In women during pregnancy, hemoglobin is often lowered, and here again, pomegranate juice will come to the rescue. During the period of expectation of a child, various viruses and infections are completely unnecessary, so you need to strive to increase immunity in all possible ways, among which is the use of pomegranate juice. But the main thing here is that the expectant mother should not have problems with digestion. Moderation is good in everything, so you definitely should not drink this juice in liters. At the slightest suspicion of an allergy, the use of this drink should be discontinued.

Harmful of pomegranate juice

Everything in the world is relative, and despite the fact that natural pomegranate juice is a unique product, its benefits and harms must be equally taken into account. There are usually contraindications for everything, and pomegranate juice is no exception to the rule. The high content of organic acids in it will inevitably irritate the gastric mucosa. Therefore, with increased acidity of the stomach, as well as in the presence of peptic ulcer of the stomach or intestines, pomegranate juicein no case should be abused.

The astringent tannins contained in pomegranate fruits can only harm those who suffer from constipation and hemorrhoids. Undiluted pomegranate juice is harmful to tooth enamel. It is better to drink a concentrated product so that it does not come into contact with the teeth - for example, with a straw. If you do not want to dilute this “he alth elixir” with water, then you can use it in half with carrot or beet juice.

As for tinctures and decoctions of pomegranate peel and bark, you need to be doubly careful with them, because they contain toxic substances, alkaloids, although in small quantities. If their dosage is exceeded, blood pressure may rise, dizziness, weakness, and sometimes convulsions may occur.